How Should an Experienced Candidate with a Career Gap Answer 'Tell Me About Yourself'?

Could you all provide an ideal answer from your perspective to the question, "Tell me about yourself" for an interview? I am asking for an experienced candidate who has a career gap due to marriage and childbirth. Could you share your ideas on how to answer this question in the best possible way? I would be really grateful for your help.

Dear Priya,

The Purpose of "Tell Me About Yourself" in Interviews

"Tell me about yourself" is a question often asked in job interviews to help reduce the candidate's anxiety. Everyone is comfortable discussing their past, making it easier to share. While answering, candidates can highlight the positive aspects of their careers and summarize their experiences.

Interviewers' Use of the Question

Many interviewers may appear "busy" and might not review a candidate's CV before the interview. For such interviewers, this question allows them to quickly scan the CV while the candidate speaks, giving them time to prepare for the next question.

The Question's Relevance

Frankly, according to international standards, the "Tell me about yourself" question doesn't significantly assess a candidate's competencies.

Finding the Right Answer

There is ample information available online about how to respond to this question. You may browse and find a suitable answer.

Thanks,

Dinesh Divekar

I understand what you mean to say. Thank you so much for taking the time to clarify my doubt. It would be great if anyone could help me out by quoting an example of how the ideal answer should be.

Regards, Priya

Dear Priya, there is no ideal answer for the "Tell me about yourself" question. It is impossible to imagine the psychology of the interviewer and their preferences. To seek clarification, you can ask the interviewer where to start, whether from childhood or your first job.

As mentioned in the previous post, you may provide a brief summary of your career. Begin with your transition into the professional world after completing your education. Subsequently, briefly outline the nature of each job and highlight new skills acquired in each role. Overall, aim to emphasize the positive aspects of your candidacy. If there is a career break, you may mention it. Additionally, discuss any self-learning initiatives undertaken during the break.

All the best!

Dinesh Divekar

Hi Priya,

I think it's better to point out what my answer would be, then you can help me to improve it further.

Introduction

"My name is Priya. I have been working as an HR Business Partner for XYZ PVT LTD since March 2019. My current job responsibilities encompass everything from recruitment and onboarding to offboarding.

Career Journey

My career can be described in two different innings: first before my marriage and then my second inning, which is my current job.

First Inning: Before Marriage

Before my marriage, I worked with XYZ company from 2009 to 2012. Initially, I joined as an Executive HR after completing my MBA. Within 8 months, I was promoted to HR Officer, where I was responsible for the entire HR and Welfare department. I reported directly to the Managing Director, and the rest of the department reported to me.

Second Inning: After Marriage

After getting married, it was a family decision that I should focus on my family and raising our kids. Despite being busy with family responsibilities, I enjoyed spending quality time with my kids and family. Concurrently, I kept my skills sharp by dedicating time daily to learning and reading about HR. As my kids began full-time schooling, I felt it was the right time to embark on my second innings, leading me to join a startup in 2019."

Kindly help me polish this in the best way possible.

With lots of gratitude,
Priya

Introduction

You may start by furnishing your personal information in a brief manner. Begin your introduction with your name, something about your parents and family, then your spouse, his job/employment/business, and your educational background.

Career Details

After that, you may begin your career details. Start with your first employment, including the name of the company, your designation, and a brief description of your work responsibilities. Proceed with the second employment in chronological order. You may also explain your reason for wanting to change from your existing job to a new one.

Future Ambitions

Then, describe your aim/ambition and where you see yourself after 6-8 years in terms of career progression.

The description focuses mainly on the career. I suggest you include your educational details, including school and college-level education, and provide a possible explanation for why you chose a career in HR management after the first paragraph.

Your description of the first innings, the gap thereafter, as well as the present innings, shows you to be a determined, innovative, and achievement-oriented person, which is a convincing answer. Possibly, you could edit out the details of the post-marriage phase if you find the interviewer showing less interest.

Dear Priya, how to give a reply to the question "Tell me about yourself" is your choice. However, I would like to highlight a different point about the proposed answer that you have posted at Post No. 6 of this thread.

Yours is going to be a formal employment, and for formal employment, it will be an official job interview. Therefore, your tone is expected to be formal and not informal. However, when one reads your reply, one feels the description is as if you are talking with your friend in an informal manner. There are informal expressions in your reply. How you describe yourself is one thing, but how to keep the method of description formal is another.

To know the difference between formal and informal expressions, you may search it on Google or YouTube.

Thanks,

Dinesh Divekar

This is an open-ended, exploratory question. You can choose to present yourself by putting your best foot forward. Your attempt to do so in your own words is good. There cannot be an ideal answer. You should choose and briefly highlight your education, family background, and the contributions you have made in your job. Additionally, highlight why you chose HR as a career. Present it in such a manner that the interviewers will have to ask further about these aspects, for which you can prepare well in advance. If necessary, rehearse in front of a mirror or record a video so that you can watch yourself live. This will boost your self-confidence and facilitate necessary modifications in your presentation.

Regards and best of luck.

Vinayak Nagarkar HR and Employee Relations Consultant

Common Interview Question: Tell Me About Yourself

"Tell me about yourself" is a common interview question. Some may say that talking about yourself is easy because we know everything about ourselves, but in the context of a job interview, it becomes different. Open-ended questions have their own difficulties in being answered properly.

Why Do Interviewers Ask This Question?

First, think about why interviewers ask this question. It allows the interviewer to get into the actual interview process and set a direction. It serves as an icebreaker and a transition stage to put the interview in the right perspective. A good answer can be a great help for the interviewee.

Framework for an Effective Answer

A simple and effective framework for your truthful and candid answer includes the present, past, and future.

Present

Speak about your current role, the scope of it, and perhaps a significant documented accomplishment of current relevance.

Past

Tell the interviewer how you got to your current position and mention previous experience that’s relevant to the job and company you are presently applying for.

Future

Explain why you’re interested in this vacancy and why you can be a great fit for it.

One needs to plan their interview strategy—study the role and company and tailor your words according to the role, experience, and vision to be the right fit. A confident answer encompassing achievements relevant to the new job, your vision, and suitability needs to be conveyed in a sincere and calm manner. Of course, never resort to hyperbole or unsubstantiated statements.

Thank you so much, everybody, for bringing new perspectives to this question and contributing towards improving my answer. It means a lot.

Also, could you all tell me what is the correct chronological order for this answer? Because I have found answers both ways.

I also wonder if it's going to be too lengthy on a personal matter if I talk about both my parents, siblings, husband, and kids. Kindly advise.

Proposed Structure for Answer

Can I start from personal life, then move on to educational background, then give an idea about my first job, then provide a gist about my gap and what I did during that time, then discuss my current job, and why I chose HR and why I am looking for another job? I hope a summary of all this would make a perfect answer.

Looking forward to all your contributions towards this answer.

Warm Regards,
Priya

"Can I start from personal life, then move on to educational background, then give an idea about my first job, then provide a gist about my gap and what I did during that time? Then about my current job, and why I chose HR and why I am looking for another job?

Personal Life

The personal life part, in my opinion, should be very brief and relevant to your growth as an individual.

Educational Background and Job Experience

Educational background, jobs done—roles, achievements, scope, etc., can be discussed with adequate details, adding how you achieved targets, motivated coworkers, etc. Each sentence should aim at showing how you fit into the new role in a collected and structured manner. Best of luck."

As many have said, this is a very common interview question and, in my opinion, one of the most useless. It is one I have never asked in any interview I have conducted, as I prefer to focus on a person's skills and abilities to find the right candidate for the job.

Advice on Answering 'Tell Me About Yourself'

I will share the answer I have always given people during job search training, which runs contrary to most of the advice given above. Stay away from personal details; they are not relevant to the job and can inadvertently provide information that may be used against you in the hiring process. However, there may be aspects you can discuss that relate to the job. For example, my main interest in life is family history research, and I have used that in job interviews to demonstrate my research skills, my ability to think outside the box to solve problems, and my creativity in finding potential sources of information. I never mention my other main interest, which is travel, as employers might assume I want regular time off to travel.

Focus on Job Relevance

I always advise people to stick strictly to the job you are being interviewed for. Discuss your experience and how it relates to the job, and what you can bring to the company. Keep the focus on you, your abilities, and how they align with the company's needs. Yes, you may find yourself repeating certain points, but it is your job to convince the employer that you are the right fit.

These sorts of questions are designed to trip people up. Always be wary.

Discussing Your Current Role and Accomplishments

Talk a little bit about your current role and your accomplishments. You can also explain how you got there or mention your experience that's relevant to the company.

Dear Priya,

"Tell me about yourself" is a key open-ended question in an interview that skilled HR professionals or Industrial-Organizational Development Psychologists, like myself, would deem important. However, its true value has not been understood by many.

Let me share some insights on why this question is important and how to answer it.

When an interviewer asks this question, they are not asking you to repeat what is already written on your resume. They want to understand your personality, your likes, dislikes, and how you perceive yourself.

Many candidates share about their hobbies and interests in sports, which provide insights into their nature and personality, revealing their communication abilities.

For example, adventure sports lovers reveal an activity-seeking nature and risk-taking ability. Indoor sports enthusiasts, like carrom or chess players, reveal patience and analytical skills.

A brief introduction about your family background can shed light on your experiences and exposures, whether or not they directly relate to your field of study or career. Exposure to a wide range of knowledge, whether formal or informal, provides insights into a candidate's skills and potentials. It also reveals a lot about their nature and interpersonal skills.

Moreover, the way you perceive yourself is crucial. Some individuals may be overtly self-critical, while others may be full of self-praise and pride. Some strike a balanced approach and present their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) subtly.

It is a misconception to think that the person asking the question "Tell me about yourself" has not reviewed your resume. They likely have read it thoroughly and have specific points of concern or consideration, seeking more clarity from the way you handle this question.

I hope this information helps. Feel free to reach out for any further concerns.

Thanks,

Shrabonee Paul
[Email Removed For Privacy Reasons]
www.neuworldz.com